Moistener



Dec. 13, 1932.

G. PETRANOVICH MOISTENER Filed April 9. 1931 INVENTOR feorge feira/mwbk,

@ ATTORNEY s Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES GEORGE PETRANOVICH, F CLAWSON, MICHIGAN MOISTENER Application filed April 9,

My present invention has reference to a moistening device for use in banks, oflices, homes, libraries and other places where frequent finger moistening is required as well as where the adhesive surfaces of stamps and envelopes are to be moistened, and the primary object is the provision of a simple device for this purpose that is partly filled with an antiseptic solution that receives therein the ends of a wick or wool strip which is passed through openings in the top of the device and has its upper portion resting upon the horizontal wall provided by a depression in the said top, the Wick being retained moist by capillary attraction as well as by perforations or apertures which communicate with the passage and seat for the Wick in the top of the device.

A further object is the provision of a moistening device that shall be of an ornamental appearance, held from accidental movement or tilting upon the article supporting the same, one which will not require frequent refilling with the antiseptic solution and one in which the Wick or pad is at all times retained in a moistened condition and arranged for convenient use by the operator.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the improvement.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

The cup-like body 1 of the improvement may be preferably of glass, porcelain or of metal, although glass is preferred. The bottom of the receptacle 1 may be concaved inwardly, as disclosed by the drawings, and the bottom of the receptacle is received in an annular depression on the top surface of a comparatively thick rubber disc 2. The disc adhesively engages with the bottom of the receptacle and incident to the concavo convex cross sectional contour of the bottom the center of the disc 2 is yieldable toward the receptacle so that the receptacle, when arranged upon a support cannot be acciden- 1931. Serial NO. 528,869.

tally moved thereon and cannot be accidentally tilted.

he receptacle 1 is provided at its mouth with interior threads and these threads are engaged by exterior threads on an inner flange 3 provided at the top or closure 1 for the receptacle. The top or closure 4: is preferably of the same material as is that of the receptacle. The top or closure 4 has on its outer face a centrally arran ed transverse depression 5 whose end walls are tapered, as at 6. The lower wall provided by the depression, indicated by the numeral 7, affords a rest or table for a capillary strip 8. The strip may be in the nature of an ordinary lamp wick, may be of wool or other material suitable for the purpose. The closure 4 is provided with an inner flange 9 that has openings 15 therethrough, inward of the side walls 6 provided by the depression 5, the said openings being I0 rounded at their upper portions and communicating with the depression and with the rounded ends of the table 7, and the sides of the wick 8 pass through these openings. For distinction the openings are indicated by the numeral 10. The table has a central opening 11 therethrough and the cover is provided with series of apertures 12 that communicate with the openings 10. The apertures 11 and 12 afford air passages to the sides and to the portion of the wick that rests on the table 7. The receptacle 1 is partly filled with an antiseptic solution 13 in which the ends of the wick 8 are submerged. By capillary attraction the wick will be saturated with the solution and the top and exposed portion 14 thereof rests on the table 7 and will be retained in moistened condition by air passing through the apertures 11 and through the apertures 12.

From practice I have found that a single filling of'the receptacle with the solution 13 is suflicient to maintain the device in proper moistened condition, for a great length of time. By merely passing his fingers over the part 14- of the wick a bank clerk or other may moisten his said fingers. For this purpose the device is also adequately adapted for use by conductors or others whose fingers necessitate moistening for the removal of single transfer strips from sheets. Stamps,

when drawn over the part 14 of the Wick will be properly moistened as will the adhesive on the flaps of envelopes and other adhesivel treated papers.

It is believed that the foregoing will clearly set forth the advantages of the construction to those skilled in the art to which such invention relates. Obviously I do not Wish to be restricted to the precise details herein set forth and, therefore, hold myself entitled to make such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A cover for a receptacle containing an antiseptic fluid, said cover having an outer threaded flange which is screwed in the receptacle and an inner flange for the top of the closure being depressed to aiford an inner flat wall that provides a table for a capillary agent and which also provides the top connecting wall for the inner flange, and which table is apertured, the side walls provided by the depression being flanged in opposite directions and toward the sides of the closure and the inner flange having two of its sides provided with openings that have rounded outer portions to afford rounded corners for the table, the inner flange having a series of apertures communicating with the openings and said openings designed to have passed therethrough the side portions of the capillary agent whose outer portion rests on the table.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE PETRANOVIGH. 

